The invention is directed to a semiconductor component having at least one power MOSFET whose semiconductor body has a source contact and a source terminal connected thereto, and also has a gate contact and a gate terminal connected thereto.
Such semiconductor components are activated by a control voltage applied between the source contact and the gate contact. In practice, the control voltage is applied between the source terminal and the gate terminal. The wire serving as the source terminal has a self-inductance when the load changes in time-wise fashion given turn-on or turn-off of the MOSFET, a voltage is induced in the inductance which opposes the control voltage in a switch-retarding fashion. When a plurality of power MOSFETs are connected in parallel and they are controlled in common from a single voltage source, then the inductance can cause high frequency oscillations with amplitudes which can destroy the FET input. These oscillations occur in the drive circuit due to unavoidable component tolerances. The oscillation frequency is critically determined by the inductance of the source terminal and is also determined by other parasitic network and component parameters. The amplitude of the oscillation is amplified by the large transconductance of the MOSFET.
The oscillations upon turn-on of power MOSFETs connected in parallel were described, for example, in the publication "PCI October 1984 Proceedings" pages 209 through 213 and in the publication "MOTOROLA TMS POWER MOSFET DATA", pages A-49 through A-70. In order to prevent the high frequency oscillations, it is proposed to insert a respective resistor or a ferrite bead into the gate terminals of the MOSFETs connected in parallel. Tests, however, have shown that the described problems are in fact alleviated but cannot be completely eliminated when fast switching is to be undertaken.